Question: How will local birds react to the sights and sounds of different animals at feeders? (Blue Jay, Red-Tailed Hawk)
I chose this question because I felt like I could take the "fake bird" experiment to the next level. I wanted to be as detailed as possible.
Hypothesis: I think the feeding birds will be attracted to the decoy of the local bird and steer clear of the predator.
It's common nature to think that the predatory hawk would drive away the little hungry birds, while the other little hungry bird would attract them.
Method: Do a control test of my two feeders with no calls playing for four days. After measuring results, place the decoys and respective calls at separate feeders. Play the calls from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. At the end of the first two days of the experiment, measure results and then switch the feeders with the birds on them, so the hawk feeder would go to the spot where the blue jay feeder was, and vice versa.
Materials: 2 of the exact same bird feeders
Fake Blue Jay
Fake Hawk
Blue Jay Call
Hawk Call
Birdseed (Black Oil Sunflower, Peanuts)
2 CD players
Independent Variables: The fake animals, the calls I put on the feeders, and the weather. Dependent Variables: The number of birds that visit the different feeders based on the fake animals I put there. Control Variables: The feeders and birdseed I use.
The Project:
The feeders weigh exactly four ounces each, and completely filled, weigh exactly nine ounces. At the end of the control test, feeder A had 1/6 of an ounce left, and feeder B had 1/2 of an ounce left. At the end of the first round of the experiment, feeder A was completely empty, and B had 1/3 of an ounce left. I switched the position of the feeders at this time. At the end of this round, feeder A (at the previous spot of feeder B) had 1 ounce left. Feeder B, at feeder A's spot, had 1 1/2 left.
Discussion:
It's safe to say that after this experiment, fake birds have no effect on the feeding habits of regular birds. Actually, the amount eaten increased greatly after the control. That lasted 4 days, while each segment of the experiment lasted 2. After comparing how much was eaten, they were about the same. This could also be in part to the fact that I was just starting to attract birds to my yard. Even the red-tailed hawk's feeder had more food eaten at each location. My hypothesis was absolutely not supported.
Question: How will local birds react to the sights and sounds of different animals at feeders? (Blue Jay, Red-Tailed Hawk)
I chose this question because I felt like I could take the "fake bird" experiment to the next level. I wanted to be as detailed as possible.
Hypothesis: I think the feeding birds will be attracted to the decoy of the local bird and steer clear of the predator.
It's common nature to think that the predatory hawk would drive away the little hungry birds, while the other little hungry bird would attract them.
Method: Do a control test of my two feeders with no calls playing for four days. After measuring results, place the decoys and respective calls at separate feeders. Play the calls from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. At the end of the first two days of the experiment, measure results and then switch the feeders with the birds on them, so the hawk feeder would go to the spot where the blue jay feeder was, and vice versa.
Materials: 2 of the exact same bird feeders
Fake Blue Jay
Fake Hawk
Blue Jay Call
Hawk Call
Birdseed (Black Oil Sunflower, Peanuts)
2 CD players
Independent Variables: The fake animals, the calls I put on the feeders, and the weather.
Dependent Variables: The number of birds that visit the different feeders based on the fake animals I put there.
Control Variables: The feeders and birdseed I use.
The Project:
The feeders weigh exactly four ounces each, and completely filled, weigh exactly nine ounces. At the end of the control test, feeder A had 1/6 of an ounce left, and feeder B had 1/2 of an ounce left. At the end of the first round of the experiment, feeder A was completely empty, and B had 1/3 of an ounce left. I switched the position of the feeders at this time. At the end of this round, feeder A (at the previous spot of feeder B) had 1 ounce left. Feeder B, at feeder A's spot, had 1 1/2 left.
Discussion:
It's safe to say that after this experiment, fake birds have no effect on the feeding habits of regular birds. Actually, the amount eaten increased greatly after the control. That lasted 4 days, while each segment of the experiment lasted 2. After comparing how much was eaten, they were about the same. This could also be in part to the fact that I was just starting to attract birds to my yard. Even the red-tailed hawk's feeder had more food eaten at each location. My hypothesis was absolutely not supported.